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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (November 16) reminded the relevant trades using non-road mobile machinery (NRMM) that pursuant to the Air Pollution Control (Non-road Mobile Machinery) (Emission) Regulation, starting from December 1 non-road vehicles, as well as mobile machines and equipment such as crawler cranes, excavators and air compressors, must be approved or exempted by the EPD and bear an approval label or exemption label issued by the EPD. The initiative will help reduce emissions from NRMM and hence improve air quality.
An EPD spokesman said, "Phase 1 of the Regulation took effect on June 1. Since September 1, all regulated machines sold or leased for use in Hong Kong must be approved or exempted with a label issued by the EPD. Starting from December 1, only approved or exempted NRMM with a proper label is allowed to be used in specified activities and locations."
Owners of existing NRMM are reminded to apply for exemption before the grace period ends on November 30. Late application will not be considered. The EPD has completed the processing of most of the exemption applications submitted and aims to complete the vetting for the remaining ones soon. For existing NRMM with exemption already given by the EPD, the machinery must bear an exemption label when used in specified locations or activities from December 1.
Any person who sells or leases a regulated machine for local use, or uses a regulated machine in specified activities or non-road vehicle in specified locations, without the EPD's approval or exemption label is liable to a fine of up to $200,000 and imprisonment for up to six months.
"The EPD launched a dedicated online application system on June 1 for handling applications for approval or exemption for NRMM. The public can also check whether NRMM has been approved or exempted by the EPD and verify the essential information through the online system," the spokesman added.
The Regulation, which commenced on June 1:
(a) requires new regulated machines to comply with the Stage IIIA emission standards of the European Union (EU) and new non-road vehicles to comply with the prevailing Euro V emission standards for newly registered road vehicles;
(b) empowers the EPD to issue approval labels to new NRMM complying with the above emission standards and exemption labels to existing NRMM;
(c) requires all regulated machines offered for sale or lease in Hong Kong to bear an approval label or exemption label issued by the EPD, starting from September 1; and
(d) restricts specified activities and locations including construction sites, container terminals and back-up facilities, restricted areas of the airport, designated waste disposal facilities and specified processes to use NRMM bearing an approval label or exemption label issued by the EPD, starting from December 1.
Emissions from NRMM account for about 6 per cent and 8 per cent of local emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and respirable suspended particulates (RSPs) respectively. NRMM complying with the EU Stage IIIA standard will emit about 60 per cent less NOx and RSPs compared with those at EU Stage I level, which account for most of the existing NRMM. Controlling emissions from NRMM helps improve air quality and reduce environmental nuisance to areas close to container terminals and construction sites.
For enquiries, please contact the EPD on 2594 6590 or at nonroadenq@epd.gov.hk.
Ends/Monday, November 16, 2015
Issued at HKT 14:30
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